Sir, present your recipept: Best Buy sucks for more reasons than that damned ad.

Ok. I'll admit it. I was lured into Best Buy this weekend by an ad I saw. It wasn't the online ad here that keeps trying to sell AOL; it was instead an ad in my paper listing a Toshiba Celeron laptop for only $750 after those infernal rebates.

I don't need a lot out of a laptop. In reality, I don't push my computers - any of them - to the limit. All I do is type and surf the web. A cheap box will do that just as well as anything else. Take away my geek card if you wish, but I don't have a need to continually replace my gear with the latest and greatest.

I went in and found what I was looking for. A sales guy came up and I told him that I needed one. He gave me a sheet to fill out with my name and phone number and address. He tried to sell me AOL, 'The Best Buy Reward Zone,' and a 'Protection Plan' that would 'get the latest and greatest laptop in six months'. I declined all of the above and he went off in search of someone with keys to come and get the laptop for me. That took 30 minutes. Once a guy finally was able to scale the ladder to the locked cage on the far wall, he retrieved my chosen laptop.

He then had me fill out another copy of the same form I'd filled out earlier. To make me feel better, the block I had to complete was labeled STAR. He tried to sell me AOL, 'The Best Buy Reward Zone,' and a 'Protection Plan.' He then took my laptop behind the returns desk and told me to wait in the line for the guy to ring me up. I grabbed a wireless card and a neat 'access point finder' key chain fob that had three lights and circuitry inside to detect unsecured wireless networks.

It took another thirty minutes for me to finally reach the counter. The lady in front of me bought four Sony desktop systems (with included flat panel, etc) and they managed to sell her some sort of 'cleaning' service for all of them. From what I gathered, she paid them to defrag the drives, install an antivirus package (that probably was already on the new computers), and cleaning the cases with compressed air to 'remove any dirt or junk from inside.' It added over $200 to her total, but I said nothing.

By this time, I'd been standing for an hour and was ready to go. I gave the guy my Best Buy card. After I declined AOL, 'The Best Buy Reward Zone,' and a 'Protection Plan,' I and got my eighteen miles of receipts for the rebates. To make sure I didn't lose them, I tucked them in the back pocket of my wallet. This becomes important. It is also of note that I had a growing urge to pee.

Once I was checked out, I started for the door. There was YET ANOTHER LONG LINE of people waiting to have their purchases searched by the goon at the door. I don't tolerate crap like that. I purchased the laptop and accessories, everything was in bags, and I started directly for the door.

'Sir, I need to see your receipt,' I heard from behind me. I said 'No, thank you,' and kept walking. I didn't want to stand in line anymore, and just knew he'd notice I didn't sign up for a protection plan and try his hard-sell skills on me. I wasn't in the mood.

As son as I was out the door, I heard him pushing through the crowd. He kept yelling 'Sir! Sir!' I continued walking to my car. I'd paid for my merchandise, taking care of inventory procedures they should have done when I checked out is not my problem. I continued walking.

When I got to my car, he was on me. He cornered me between my door and the car next to me and told me that I had to come back into the store so he could see my receipt. I asked him why he was following me and he told me again that he had to see my receipt. I said he wasn't going to see it and tried to get in my car. He moved so close that I couldn't even get into the door. I was now trapped. Another BB employee came out the door and started coming toward us.

He told me that if I didn't let him see my receipt, he would get my license plate, call the cops, and report me for shoplifting. I told him once again that I had paid for my purchases and that I didn't care to show him my stuff. The other employee had almost reached my car by this point and he said he was not going to let me leave. He said if I had a problem with that, I should come speak to his manager. I locked my car and started to push him out of my way to go back toward the store. He said, 'No, you need to get that stuff and bring it back into the store.'

We went back into the store. Once inside, I was greeted by a couple of friends from school who wanted to ask me about buying a computer. I told them I was busy; the door guy had called for the manager.

The manager came back and demanded that I show the receipt. We continued on a bit longer about that and I then decided I didn't really want to buy from these folks after all. After being accused of stealing, I didn't feel like complying. They said I couldn't leave until I did show it to them, so I walked over to the returns line. I told them that I'd get my money back and be on my way.

The manager had the door guy stand in sight of me and then went into the back office. Few minutes later, he came back holding copies of my receipt. He told me I could go if I wanted. I told him I was no longer his customer after being treated like that and continued standing in the line.

Just before I reached the desk (15-20 minutes later, with the guy still watching me) a girl in a blue sweatshirt came up to me and asked me if I was the 'upset customer.' I told her I was an angry former customer and she told me she'd handle the return if I wanted to stop waiting in line. She took me back to the register I'd gone to the first time to 'cancel' the transaction.

She did so quickly, and without much comment. I asked for a copy of my receipt and she gave me the printout the manager made earlier. About this time, the original sales guy came by and asked, 'you still here?' I proceeded to tell him loudly about my adventures in being accused of theft. Several other shoppers in line looked and listened, put their stuff down, and left.

Once I got outside, I called and closed my BB card account. I then called corporate and talked to them. The corporate guy told me that he was sorry someone got a bit overzealous at the door and assured me everything would be looked into on Monday. He asked for permission to call me tomorrow, and asked what time would be best.

So that effectively seals the deal for on shopping at BB. Which kind of sucks, I was excited about my new laptop. I gave them another chance after they fed me that ad, and they treated me like a thief. Sure, I could have shown them my receipt, but I didn't feel like it, nor was I required to. Instead of being rational about everything, they decided to pin me next to my car and threaten me with arrest.

Not to minimize what happened to you, but it's pretty much standard practice for them to want to look at the receipt to make sure you're not stealing. Otherwise people could happily cart out thousands of dollars of merchandise without a receipt.

I saw no reason to be further slowed after making my purchase. I didn't want them to try and sell me something at the door.

Sure, I could have very easily stopped to show the guy my receipt and would have done so without a problem had the guy been nice about it, but he decided to try his best "bouncer" impression and pinned me against my car. That pretty much ended the goodwill I felt toward their inventory system.

To stop someone for shoplifting, they need to:1) have seen someone approach, take, and conceal the merchandise2) observe the shoplifter continuously 3) verify that they fail to pay for it4) apprehend the shoplifter outside the store.

The guy, standing at a door fifteen people deep couldn't have done that. His accusation that I was shoplifting was not based on anything other than me walking out without following his orders. When I purchased the products they became mine. He has no greater right to my property than anyone else, and if he'd have been nice, he would have been given the opportunity to look at my receipt.

I have bought plenty of big-ticket items at places with door nazi. Never before ahve they had a problem when I politely refused to honor their requests for me to present my reciept and my merchandise. There was no reason to stop me. I didn't even set off the freaking alarm!

Yes, lets all stand up for the "security" person on power trip, any one walking out of best buy with a large ticket items MUST have stolen it.

Yes let's make excuses for these people stoping this customer from enetering his car... Too basd this is all happend on private property where personal rights get thrown out in the name of corperate power.

quote:So, in summary, fucking relax. If Best Buy asking for your receipt is enough to ruin your day, then you have it good. Stop pretending you don't.

You also seem to be missing the fact Best Buy alleady made him wait at least an hour, just to check out and get his merchandise. So being a little anyoned at waiting in another line just to get out of the store is understandbaled.

Most if this is due to Best Buy(and many other reatiler's) fucked up sales method, where they don't really want you to buy some of their merchandise. They pruposesly make it a longer painful ordeal. Of course, you can't just pick up the laptop goto the check out and leave the store, no that would be to easy, and you'd miss many high pressure sales opertunites. Of course just threating not to buy, or taking your business else where isn't a threat to them becuase they really didn't want the sale in the first place.

I have been working at Best Buy for almost six months now so let me break it down for you.

1.) Yes, alot of the stuff the sales people try to sell you is crap you don't really need, but not all of it. Anybody buying any big ticket items is an idiot for not getting the BBY Reward Zone. You pay ten dollars for a year and you accumulate points when you spend money. Going off the list price for that laptop on the .com site (not sure if price was same in store) you would have payed $10 at the counter and got $40 in gift certificates in the mail in 3-4 weeks that were good on anything in store. Then for a year after that you would have gotten another $5 for every $125 you spent.

2.) I don't work Loss Prevention (guys at the front door), but I know enough about it to know that A: they do not try to sell you anything and B: Big tickets items are checked out for a good reason. You would be suprised at the number of TVs/Computers etc. that "grow legs" and walk out the door. Also I can remember a few times in just the past month when our LP guy caught a mistake on the receipt that ended up saving the customer a few hundred dollars. Mainly these were issues with ambigious boxes and the customer got the wrong one (the big ticket items are not always scanned by upc but the number is entered in manually).

Now don't get me wrong, I am in no way defending his actions outside the store (he could have handled it much better), but from the other side you were rude to the guy about it and he is just doing his job. He can get in a lot of trouble and even lose his job for not checking computer packages at the door. One of our LP guys is working this and a night job just so his son can go to a good school and get the education he needs. Instead of just bitching at the way they treated you why don't you stop for a minute and think about how you treated them and how that affected their jobs/lives.

I agree with your actions. What right does best buy have to check your reciept? Once you purchase the items they become yours. I see no reason to further proove that they are yours. The clerk scans them places them in bags. You give them your money. That is the transaction. Do they by law have the right to search you belongings? If they think you stole something they should have called the police. Once the police get there let them see your reciept. Then Best Buy will be wasting the police officers time.

Quit being such an attention whore and let the people do their job. Helping to prevent stolen merchandise keeps costs down and ultimately benefits you, the buyer.

I work at a retailer that helped to popularize the "door nazi" (and have even worked as a door nazi on a few occasions). People get caught stealing things ALL the time. Several times a week, in fact. More often than not, the door folks will discover overcharges and ultimately save you some money. Don't be such a jerk next time. Yeah, it's a pain in the ass, but its 10 seconds of your time. You will live.

quote:That's The Deal at Best Buy. You knew this. Yes, it's rather annoying, but they DO have a right to ask for it.

I have never seen a law that says that a store has the right to require you to deal with the door nazi. In fact, I have never seen a law that says the store has the legal right to search and detain any customer for shits and giggles. Stores with the door nazi are only allowed to get away with it because it's voluntary (except that they don't make you aware of this fact because it's their dirty little secret).

Quite frankly, I'm tired of being treated like a fucking criminal. It very much annoys me when old hags cluth their purses tight, or when I'm crossing a street, and I hear the all too familiar sound of doors locking coming from the cars I'm walking by. If I want to remind the door nazi that his power is just about 0 in this situation, and if he should decide to have the cops search me for shoplifting, I will sue their asses into oblivion for harassing me and because they had no probable cause to detain me for shoplifting, I think that's my goddamn right.

Becuase it's store policy. Best Buy has never hidden that, it's common in many big electronic and warehouse stores. If they have the policy, the customer has to adhere to it. No one in Best Buy Loss Prevention gives a flying fuck about the terrible(drama) ordeal you had trying to purchase an expensive item. They're just trying to do their job.

If I ever had some jackass politely decline me upholding my store's policy, I'd ploitely decline their request not to have my fist meet their face.

How am I supposed to know about the policy before they check me? In every store I've been in with a door nazi, they never mention that this is their policy, and for a very good reason: they fear losing business. Of course when you have a policy and you don't make customers aware of it, it's less a policy and more a sugguested guideline. The store is not supposed to attempt to make a serious attempt at enforcing the door checker policy because the store can't claim you agreed to the policy because you're never made aware of it, nor are you given an opportunity to decline(assume this is your first visit to the store)

As far as I can tell, you have no obligation to stop for or furnish evidence to anyone. In Canada, the door nazi has the right (on behalf of the company) to make an arrest under s. 494 of the Criminal Code, but if they do so without any reasonable suspicion, as in, they're stopping everyone who walks past the door, then they don't have that right. An attempt to stop you could then be an assault, an attempt to remove lawfully purchased merchandise from you could then be a theft, an attempt to look for or take your reciept could then be an offence relating to documents, etc.

Store policy isn't the law. It has absolutely no force of law behind it. That is ridiculous.

Becuase it's store policy. Best Buy has never hidden that, it's common in many big electronic and warehouse stores. If they have the policy, the customer has to adhere to it. No one in Best Buy Loss Prevention gives a flying fuck about the terrible(drama) ordeal you had trying to purchase an expensive item. They're just trying to do their job.

If I ever had some jackass politely decline me upholding my store's policy, I'd ploitely decline their request not to have my fist meet their face.

Store policy should never trump my rights and the law. Now, you will argue, and rightly, that I can choose to not shop there. BB's policies are its perogatives, my shopping habits are my own, right?

But, at the same time, there is an imbalance of power here. If all stores thought this was a good idea, then my choice is eliminated. And we all know, as cynics, that the choice was illusory anyway; the actions of the aggrieved few do not pursuade chains to change policy when the overriding concern of the majority of shoppers is price.

The BB person at the door may be doing his job, but I as a citizen with certain rights must do MY job and try to protect those rights. If I don't, then who will?

Holy shit. I want to see the argument when the RIAA comes around and checks all of your computers for mp3s... and I want all of you who are saying "STFU and show them the reciept" to say "STFU and show them your mp3s". Every... fucking... one of you.

dotorg does not have to stop for the door nazi. There was no way that the guy at the door could have properly acertained that dotorg was shoplifting. And there was no reason for him to be accosted in the parking lot.

The first says basically that the searches are voluntary and that unless the store has probable cause (which entails seeing you pick up an item, conceal it, and walk out with it (at which point, they can only accost you OUTSIDE of the store)), they can NOT force you to show your receipt.

OK, this is the most asinine thing I've ever heard. Can we please just not think we're so fucking special that we can cut in front of everyone, and not show our reciept? If you didn't want to spend an hour buying the thing, then just leave after it takes too long.

It reminds me of those people who hop in the break-down lane then expect you to let them back in. Just take your place in line, and call me when your rights are REALLY being violated.

quote: To stop someone for shoplifting, they need to:1) have seen someone approach, take, and conceal the merchandise2) observe the shoplifter continuously 3) verify that they fail to pay for it4) apprehend the shoplifter outside the store.

I work in retail, and unless you have all these steps bad things happen if you try to stop someone. Not the least of which (at least in EB) you're pretty much fired on the spot to keep the evil lawsuits away.

What the clerk above did broke the law. The receipt checks are voluntary, and searching your private property if you don't let them is illegal. You also have harassment. I'd have put the laptop down, taken out my cellphone, and called the cops. The clerk would have been fired in about a day after you filed charges.

quote: Can we please just not think we're so fucking special that we can cut in front of everyone, and not show our reciept? If you didn't want to spend an hour buying the thing, then just leave after it takes too long.

Even when they're asking to look through goods that you own? Illegally?

fluxt, no, THAT is the most asinine thing I've ever heard. As has been repeatedly stated once you pay for the goods they legally become yours at the register. Searching through them is searching through private property, and IIRC that requires a warrant or your permission. Skipping the -optional- reciept showing line is what I've been doing since I was born and is just exercising what I'm legally allowed to do. Its not that I'm special, its that the store isn't special.

quote: Instead of just bitching at the way they treated you why don't you stop for a minute and think about how you treated them and how that affected their jobs/lives.

Hummm, ok, I've thought about it, and I'd like to get them fired for being retards. Why should dotorg care about how he treated them? He didn't start the mess, they had no right to do anything to him. he's got a physical handicap and he's been hassled in the store while he was trying to purchase the item and when he did purchase it they -assualted- him and possibly illegally detained him. You want to give them awards? You're acting just like a retarded best buy employee, but that's not surprising now, is it?

quote:Originally posted by Stasis7:Even when they're asking to look through goods that you own? Illegally?

What does it matter? It's not like we're talking about racial profiling (they search everyone), it's not like we're talking about privacy (the store already knows what you bought), so what's the beef? Look at it this way: if Best Buy does not institute such a system, it is guaranteed to suffer a higher rate of loss, which will in turn mean they will be forced to raise prices. No one here is advocating shoplifting, so let's help them out in their efforts to keep their costs, and by extension their prices, down.

The point is they have absolutley no legal right to detain you unless they suspect you of shoplifting, and forcing you to stop or show them anything is illegal.

If you do not wish to comply, you do not have to, and they have no legal right to do so.

Being special has nothing to do with it, it all about going on your way, with your legally purchased goods at your own discrestion.

If they want to stop you when you don't wish to be, they better damn well put you under citizens arrest and detain you until police arrive to look into the matter. If they do not have enough suspicion to do that, they can't do anything.

Exactly. They waste everyone's time by illegally searching their bags. That's why it pisses us off so bad.

quote: it's not like we're talking about privacy (the store already knows what you bought),

Apparently not, or they wouldn't have to search the bags and the receipt.

quote: if Best Buy does not institute such a system, it is guaranteed to suffer a higher rate of loss, which will in turn mean they will be forced to raise prices

No it won't. All items above $10 or so are tagged. When you step through the gates the alarms go off. Grab those guys, because that's probably cause. The same thing with people going around the gates.

quote: No one here is advocating shoplifting, so let's help them out in their efforts to keep their costs, and by extension their prices, down.

Except it doesn't help keep prices down, its illegal, and it wastes my time. It also says that they thank you for shopping there by ASSUMING you stole something. You have to prove them otherwise. So in Best Buy everyone is guilty until you can prove that you're innocent.

quote:Originally posted by Stasis7: They're inconvenient and illegal. That's what matters. They're wasting my time to do an illegal search.

I'm not willing to listen to arguements about the convenience factor. It is a small hassle and it makes a lot of fucking sense for them to want to minimize their losses. As for the legality, I'll leave that for the lawyers. Sue them if you want, I think there are greater injustices in this world. Possibly.

quote: Exactly. They waste everyone's time by illegally searching their bags. That's why it pisses us off so bad.

Rarely is there a line at the exit of the store. This is simply a very busy time of year, and this was a weekend day on top of that. Going shopping this time of year, one should expect large waits.

quote: Apparently not, or they wouldn't have to search the bags and the receipt.

I'm not sure what this means. The point is, you don't have any reasonable expectation of privacy in your open Best Buy bag.

quote:

No it won't. All items above $10 or so are tagged. When you step through the gates the alarms go off. Grab those guys, because that's probably cause. The same thing with people going around the gates.

Right. No one takes those things off either. It really is hard to take those off. So yes, it does result in a higher loss rate for them, if they don't check everyone's reciept, and the potential for loss in a store like Best Buy, with a large number of items that are both small, and high-ticket.

You have to see where the stores are coming from in this. People are assholes, and they will try to steal stuff, especially from a popular, busy, and high-ticket item store such as Best Buy. This cuts into Best Buy's bottom line, its a 100% loss. It results in either lower profits, or higher prices, or some combination of the two, and both of which are harmful to Best Buy's ability to do business.

quote: I'm not willing to listen to arguements about the convenience factor. It is a small hassle and it makes a lot of fucking sense for them to want to minimize their losses. As for the legality, I'll leave that for the lawyers. Sue them if you want, I think there are greater injustices in this world. Possibly.

Really? So you're willing to wait upwards of twenty minutes so some teenage can paw through your stuff? Is your time and rights really that meaningless to you?

quote: Rarely is there a line at the exit of the store. This is simply a very busy time of year, and this was a weekend day on top of that. Going shopping this time of year, one should expect large waits.

Maybe you do. But I don't expect to have to wait to LEAVE the store. The fact that this is a busy time of year is just another reason this is bullshit. They're still stealing my time and breaking the law.

quote: I'm not sure what this means. The point is, you don't have any reasonable expectation of privacy in your open Best Buy bag.

Yes I do. Its my bag. Can I come up to you and go through your wallet? Why not? Where's the line?

quote: Right. No one takes those things off either. It really is hard to take those off

If you give someone on the sales floor time to open the shrinkwrap, take the tag off, steal a Best Buy bag or bring one in, and then leave with it. You have much bigger problems.

And after that you put in rolleyes. So you lose the argument.

quote:So yes, it does result in a higher loss rate for them,

What does?

quote: if they don't check everyone's reciept, and the potential for loss in a store like Best Buy,

Right. So you're saying that someone can reasonably go in, grab a ladder, unlock the cabinets, grab a laptop, put it in a Best Buy bag, and then walk out the door. With no questions? What EXACTLY can you catch at the door?

You're assuming that someone is a cat burglar, there's no one on the floor, and no one pays attention on the sales floor. But that ninja at the front gate will stop ya!

Basically, I doubt they catch anyone. And the people they catch would have been caught whether that guy at the door is searching through your stuff or not. So basically yeah, it serves no purpose, wastes your time, violates your rights, and breaks the law. Plus this teller followed him out of the store, and then kept him from getting in his car. That's harrassment. If he touched him, that's assault.

And yes, if it were me and this happened, I would have called the cops. In retail, a complaint is seen as shit against the store manager, not so much the door monkey. A police officer in the store and a formal complaint? People lose their jobs.

Again, its guiltly until proven innocent, which isn't how things are done in this country. Do I shop at Best Buy? Sometimes. Have I ever let them search me? Never.

quote: It results in either lower profits, or higher prices, or some combination of the two,

Yes. Shoplifting does. This doesn't keep people from shoplifting. Again, do they really think that if someone was able to steal a key, then a ladder, then the laptop, then a bag, that somehow the door idiot will get them? That guy must be a ninja at that stage, and will most likely flip out and kill a bunch of people.

quote: and both of which are harmful to Best Buy's ability to do business.

quote:Originally posted by fluxt:You have to see where the stores are coming from in this. People are assholes, and they will try to steal stuff, especially from a popular, busy, and high-ticket item store such as Best Buy. This cuts into Best Buy's bottom line, its a 100% loss. It results in either lower profits, or higher prices, or some combination of the two, and both of which are harmful to Best Buy's ability to do business.

I see where the store is coming from, but I don't like that the door nazi gets in my face, and likes to present him/her self as being in a position of authority. Further, I really don't give a 2 schilling shit how the store feels about theft, or profits, etc. When I've had a shitty day, they don't care about it, they just want me in and out while spending as much money as possible, so given that we don't care about each other, why should I encourage them to continue practises of dubious legality, especially when they directly affect me in albeit small ways?

I almost never show my receipt at the door, I'll only do it if there's no wait and I have not put my receipt away yet. my time is too valuable to spend it rumaging through my bag trying to find proof that I'm not a criminal.

Only your rights aren't being violated and no laws are being broken by asking to see your receipt.

This behaviour strikes me as utterly assinine. By not showing the receipt, you cause a scene, waste even more of your time, get even more irritated, and end up going home with nothing! <font size=+2>A WINNAR IS YUO!</font>